The latest from Tokyo’s LLLL moves away from clearly identifiable vocals in favor of playing around with the human voice as instrument. “Mahou” is a rumbling number featuring the synthesizers the project has long fancies, the sort that add a sense of melancholy to the track as a whole even when everything drops out for a second. The detail that makes “Mahou” work are the vocal sighs, which add a jittery vibe to the song. Whereas as previous numbers by LLLL have featured more dramatic vocals, the little hiccups here highlight a nervousness — sometimes leaning optimistic — and subtlety. Listen above.
